Tradition was always a part of Tony’s youth. In some cases, tradition was created along the way and mixed with other aspects of his Italian culture. At as early as seven years of age, Tony was helping his mother cook for a family of six by making pasta from scratch and watching the sauces and dishes she prepared.
Pasta making is an art in and of itself. From scratch, the process is a flour, egg and water filled step-by-step tradition in order to get the dough perfect for cooking in boiling water so that the pasta doesn’t separate and cooks to the ideal texture. Every Sunday, every surface, including foldout tables, was set out and dough was rolled out by Tony’s mom and himself by hand. Once the flat, flour-scented dough was rolled out, it was passed through a pasta machine which made spaghetti, ravioli, mostaccioli and other kinds of pastas. At the end of the afternoon, pasta would be laid out all over the place and the air would be filled with a powdery quality that could only be the aftermath of day-long pasta preparation.
“We ate so much pasta. It was pasta all the time not only because we loved it but because it was cheap,” said Tony while reminiscing about the family tradition. At the age of fourteen, Tony was already making dinner for his entire family after coming home from school. His mother worked all day and evening so it was up to him to prepare the dinners for his three brothers and one sister. He would make sauces from scratch and enjoy the cooking process while taking on the responsibility of making sure his siblings ate.
A tradition that has stuck with the family for many years is called the Feast of the Seven Fishes. It is a Christmas Eve tradition that specifies only fish and seafood meats are to be served at the table in a feast-like buffet. No other meat is permitted. Pasta and vegetables are allowed and are fillers between plates stacked high with salted cod, cuttlefish, large squid, calamari, eel, shrimp, octopus, clams and mussels. Of course, Tony is usually at the center of the cooking and makes the calamari himself along with the other fish dishes with his mom still helping at his side.
Wine was a very prominent staple in Tony’s youth. As is the culture of many Italian (and European) families, kids were given wine to drink with their dinner without any ado. One of Tony’s favorite memories was the making of their own wine once a year with his mother and her two sisters.
Through a grape press, they would make what turned out to be a very potent, strong, red wine in his uncle Sylvio’s garage. About two barrels of wine would be the end result of this yearly endeavor where three families from the same origin gathered together to take part in this yearly tradition.
Tony’s tradition and culture show through with the dishes and meals he cooks, not just for his customers, but for his family and loved ones as well. It is good to know that when ordering for a catering event through Dogfather Catering, one will receive food that was truly made with tradition and love which will make it all that much more enjoyable and memorable!
To order for your event, press the button below or to contact Tony directly feel free to fill out the form on the side or call him at 847-529-DOGS (3647). You can also email him directly at catering@www.dogfathercatering.com